News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-03
a Million for Missions for 1887.
FROM COLLECTIONS ONLY.-NO CAST
IN

FROM COLLECTIONS ONLY.-NO CAsTI
IN HEAVEN.
Many OF our readers will remembe1
the writer of the following letter, Mr.
WIN. Mead of Underhill, who assisted
With his cornet on the Methodist CamI
Ground at Morrisville two and three
years ago, and who soon after left fol
Africa with Bishop Taylor.
A SANITY DEATH IN THE JUNGLE.
The following letter from W. T. Mead
one OF our devoted missionaries in Nhan,
! guepepO, Angola, Africa, will be read
! by few without tears:
Dear Brother Grant and all the dear
DroCherS and sisters in the Lord who are
interested In our Welfare here, and who
| SympathIze with us in our experiences
our eldest daughter, our dear Nellie, is
ueaa. On Tuesday, October y, the
spirit returned to God who gave it to us
for II years and % days. We, her par
entS, 40 thank and praise Him for His
SUSTAINING power toward us in this our
| great affection.
Glory to God! is the song of my soul,
IOf ne does SO wonderfully comfort me,
and Is bringing me on with rapid strides
toward my home, where there will be no
weeping.
Now, dear ones, to whom the news of
! Nellle'S death comes so suddenly, let not
| this intelligence discourage YOUR hearts.
though five have died since we reached
Africa, we trust the affective dispense
tlon VIII have its designed effect on you
at nome and us in Africa. Our faith
does not WAIVER. God called us to
Africa.
We shall miss our frst-born child.
She loved music, and played the organ
While would accompany it with the
cornet or violin. Thus together we made
a, joyful noise unto the Lord. She
always played at our morning devOtiOnS
and as we altogether sang the songs of
Zion, the blessed Lord would pour saliva
ton through our souls.
am chOked with emotion as [ write
this, for realize she esl never again be
with us. But my sorrow is not without
hope. Nellie seems so near, and we
know that before long there will be a
happy meeting with her and the host of
the saved in the kingdom of God.
AS stood over the grave of Nellie's
sister, Nora, who died, aged one year,
and was buried in my native land, God
witnessed to my soul that | should find
her safely housed in heaven if remained
faithful. They were little ones, and sat
on my knees together. They are again
joined IN their heavenly home. One lit
tie body sleeps in Vermont, and Nellie's
loved caSket is with us here in Africa.
They will awake at the last trumpet's
sound, and come forth to meet their
Lord in the air.
Nellie's life was wonderfully pure, |
kept by the power of God until He took
her to Himself. God grant that may
continue faithful to the end-faithful as
a father to the remaining little ones !
Our children are the Lords, and so are
we, and we are in Africa by His order. |
Glory to God my dear wife said, as we
were following our dear one to the grave, |
that no difference what comes, she can |
never doubt ''Our call to Africa | |
know of no better place from whence |
to go to heaven than this, nor any hOlier |
cause in which to be engaged than that |
which brought us here.
Our Nellie was cOntented and happy |
in Africa, always thanking God in her
prayers that she was here. She loved |
the people she came to benefit, and they |
loved her, as the tears that rolled down |
their black cheeks attested.
She was confined to the bed only three
days from congestion of the brain. She |
suffered much pain. The last halliday |
she was unconscious and gently passed |
away. She had no fear of death. She
said she cOnld "leave it all with Jesus"
thank God L was able to make her
decent coffin out of the boards that |
came round the flour boxes. 1 covered |
1t with some white flannel the bishop |
had sent from Liverpool, and lined it
with white cotton cloth. Her dear
sorroWing mother prepared the body for
the burial, and as she lay in the pure
white coffin with the glossy green Afri-
can vines around her, the face seemed
to shine as that of an angel in its sweet
ness and youth.
The few Portuguese here and the ma
tive showed us much sympathy. They
filled the house. Brother Whitney con-
Quoted the services part in Portuguese.
The brethren present were asked to par
tlcipate. One hymn, was sung in Por-
tugueSe. We selected her favurite hymns
especially NumberleSs as the sands of
the Sea-Shore, u which she. had asked for
ON the Sabbath when net able to leave
her room.
The next day after the funeral. taking
my little boy Johnnie and some natives,
| went to get stones for building a plat
form OF masonry round and over her
grave, which is in the Portuguese burial
place, about mile back on the path to
Dondo. As the natives were resting at
midday about the grave, under a large
tree, my little boy sitting by my side
with his sleeves rolled up, l began
with tender emotion in broken Portu-
gueSe to preach Jesus to them as best |
could. Some who understood would in
terpret to those who only knew the
= Ambunda language. L went away
alone to pray, a little distance near a
rock, where there was tree growing
out OF a crevice in the rock. Looking
up saw about ten feet from me a HUI
man skull among the branches of the
5ree. This strangely affected my soul
amid It's surroundings. Thank God we I
can now read His word to some eX- ;
5ent In Portuguese, and with our sing
ng and imperfect efforts, we feel that
lark minds, and they are beginning to {
Understand a little. When we heard
he voice of the Spirit saying to us,
: 90 ye and preach the Gospel to the
)enlghted Africans, there were no more :
and we are here strength
med and encouraged by the blessed
spirit. Pray that my dear wife NAV be
sustained under this sore bereavement
which she so keenly feels, and that our !
ives may glorify him continually.
When we see all the saved of the ages
VINO from cruel death partingS are free
Meeting there with heavenly greeting
What wonderful sight that will be-"
Glory to God my soul still sings.
Such sacrifice is what will assist in
Winning this world for Christ; some can ,
20, others ought to give. Our growth \
n grace depends upon our giving. A !
missionary church is a spiritual church, ]
'ut the missionary spirit must come in e
anger measure upon the church of God ;,
+ we can never carry the Gospel to the S
eathen world. :
We are workers together with God.
G. l.. S.